I just returned from the Caribbean! Yes, I told my children that I would plan a vacation before school started and so a few months ago I began the search for the best vacation. I looked into all inclusive hotels but didn’t really feel they would be as safe. Plus, you can end up spending quite a bit on the days you get bored and head to town to shop.
I looked at staying close to home and just getting a hotel with amenities but I felt that would be too stuffy for the children to really enjoy. Then, it hit me. Why not look into a cruise?
I got online and started pricing things and the inclusive setup of a Carnival cruise was perfect for us! I worked to set up the trip before school started and ended up, after much planning, with the week before school as my only opportunity due to reservation times.
We left on Sunday and stayed in a hotel overnight, then boarded the ship on Monday morning. We had a day at sea on Tuesday, landed in Progreso, Mexico on Wednesday, Thursday we hit Cozumel and went snorkeling, Friday another day at sea, and yesterday we hit land at 7am and drove home (from Galveston up to Dallas).
We feel completely spoiled! If you’ve never been on a cruise, you have no idea how special they make you feel for a full 5 days (or more, depending on the cruise you choose). Your bed is made each day and after your wonderful dinner of full service by the waitstaff, you return to your cabin and realize they’ve done a turn-down service with mints on your pillow. My daughter had a great time and wore a tiara to dinner each night. They kept calling her “princess” while serving her at dinner and she felt fabulous.
My son met lots of friends his age on board, too, and stayed busy with mini golf, swimming, visiting, and eating lots of food. With 24/7 choices of what to eat, you never ever go hungry on board. My favorite time though, was in Cozumel, where we went snorkeling together.
My daughter was a bit afraid at first but once I talked her into the ocean a bit and showed her the fish nearby, she warmed up a little. I told her to kick her feet behind her and let me swim us around. We explored the reef area and my son kept pointing out neat looking fish nearby. We ended up on a little island area out in the water where you could climb a ladder and lay up on the deck and sun bathe.
After relaxing a bit, we snorkeled back to shore and hit one of the restarants for some lunch. I couldn’t keep my daughter out of the water–as soon as we were done eating she wanted to go see the fish and swim more. We got stung by a few jellyfish on our way out but it wasn’t bad and even the kids were shrugging at the stings. It was a wonderful time and we can’t wait to plan our next cruise!
I found myself, before the cruise, reading forums and trying to find out what to pack, what to expect, and how to tip while on board. It was a great way for me to feel informed and I ended up taking just enough clothing, knowing what to expect while on board, and having a wonderful time with the kids during our week of vacation.
Tomorrow, school starts and I go back to work. I expect my desk to be full of things for me to complete and I’m sure the children are going to have a great time re-connecting with friends but they will also face work to do while there. I’m so thankful we were able to go on this vacation before the school year began.
It was incredible and we have memories we will never forget!